Books read Jun 19

Night Gardening by E.L. Swann

Cambridge, MA-Maggie Wells is recovering from a stroke, she's a widow. Her garden has gone by the wayside.
Tristan Mallory, the landscape architect gardens next door, during the light of the moon.  His clients are rich women who have something in mind but want the famous gardens recreated in their backyards.
The Steins have hired him and he would be able to use his heavy equipment and blue slate he transports to this area.
Alternating chapters from each.  He discovers her through the cracked wall and proceeds to help her with the physical therapy as he uncovers her sexuality. Turmoil comes in the form of her son who tries to take over her financial world...
Loved all the Latin names and their combined forces to create what was once at her garden.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

 The Monster That Ate Our Keys
Colorful children's book about a monster. Starts out with Dad and his regular routine but he needs his car keys and he can't find them.
The boy thinks he sees a blight flash of orange...they look all over for the missing keys. While collecting change in the couch he finds the culprit and his dad comes to help.
They corner him in the bathroom...they each come up with a different idea that might work....
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

Illustrated colorful children's rhyming book about a little bird that gets lost.
Starts out counting the three baby birds in the nest but we learn there should be four.
Mother and Father come to feed the birds and they think they are hiding one bird...
Everyone is looking for the little lost bird, where could he be?
I received this book from Library Thing via the author in exchange for my honest review.

Eat Like A Farm Girl; 3 Ingredient Plant Based Recipes
This ebook sounded interesting to me because it's all plant based which means I can grow it myself.
We have recently adopted a Mediterranean diet due to health reasons and really like to find new vegetables to experiment with and combine with what we already eat.
This book starts out with why the author wrote it and their life up to an adult and what they had done along the way as far as farm life.
So much about the food that is raised. Vegetable cakes sound interesting.  Love the section about the pantry and what you should have on hand. Lots of combinations of food along the way.
Recipes include some with photos that make me feel hungry they look so good. Very easy instructions and ingredient list. No nutritional information but it's all fresh vegetables.
Big section on just kale foods to create; vinaigrettes,  clickable links are also at the end of the book for you to check out.

The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages: a book marketing guide for authors and publishers
This book includes why the book is written yearly, author do's and don't when soliciting for a reviewer to read their book, author etiquette,
Top 10 reviewers, Book Reviewer Listings. Each reviewer has their blog listed, email and what types of books they prefer to read along with other information-if they charge a fee, etc.
Nice straight to the point book about where a new author can gain more exposure via reviews for their book.

The Lives Between Us by Theresa Rizzo
Have read the author's other works and know I am going to enjoy this read also. It's about some medical breakthroughs that my daughter had worked for a company waiting for FDA approval to be part of the stem cell research-that is one reason I wanted to read this book.
Skylar Kendal is a reporter and likes to do research, especially for her niece who needs a stem cell operation but no labs have the bone marrow nor do any match. Skye blames it on Hastings who is a Senator for the state and he's against stem cell research. She knows she has to reach him and persuade him to change his mind.
Faith and Peter have the cure for Niki but it's not in time and now a medical emergency has brought on seizures to Faith and she has to deliver the infants then... The Senator asks Mark to distract Skye and keep her off his back and Mark and Skye hit it off...
Mark and Skye help with the twins, never knew what kangarrooing was. Loved hearing all about the house Noelle and Ed and Jeff live in-very detailed descriptions as if I was there seeing it myself. Understand now why the Senator takes the position he does on stem cell.
Loved the travel to and during CO. Love it when I learn new words and have to look them up.
After the tragic accident they all bond together more to help with the surgeries and recovery. Technical terms and jargon leave me a bit confused as there are many aspects of stem cells that I never understood.
Still book continues with the personal side of the event.  When the story is leaked out from an unknown source she is blamed for ruining the senator's family and career and you wonder if they will ever figure out who really did leak the story.
Fast paced and lots of action and adventure, travel, mystery, learning new things wrapped inside a family story. Exc read!
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Dead Scary: The Ghost who refused to leave  by Sally Gould
Don't usually read this type of book (about ghosts and such) but I did enjoy another book by the author.
This middle grade children's book and starts out when the family arrives at their new house. Their mother's uncle had died and left the house to her. It's huge and so are the rooms, back yard, tennis courts, etc.
Emily hadn't wanted to move and we had all picked out our rooms on our first visit. The little boy is comfortable talking to ghosts, not using words but just thoughts. Adam also sees their auras.
The ghost tells Adam of the rules of the house and what renovations had been made.  Edward wants the family out of his house. Isabel, Adam's ghost friend takes him places to show him of the council and what they can and can't do. They all have rules.
Edward and Adam are finding way to compete with one another-Adam wants his family to stay in the house, Edward wants them all to leave. Grandfather might have some tips on what to do...
Lots of details on how things are done in the ghost world...a huge confrontation occurs and they realize they must get along. Like how the ending was because it proves ghosts can get along with humans.
Many other works by the author are excerpted at the end. Book was easy to follow along with all the ghost rules=gives you a good understanding as the story goes along if you can follow what's happening.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Along the Way, Book 1, Welcome to Alberta! by Teresa Schapansky
This colorful children's book is about when a family has to relocate for work.
This is the first book of a series but the book read like a stand alone. What I as a parent really appreciated was the tender care the parents explain
to the children why they have to move and that they will have new friends. Lots of helpful information about their feelings and the move itself. Like how they make it a family event as it does involve the whole family.
So many facts about the new place, Alberta, Canada and the most fun places-outdoor state and national parks. The way it's presented in the book
made it feel fun to learn, not like being in a class room. More from the author is highlighted at the end of the book.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

First Sight by Danielle Steel
Timmie, Clothing designer is just returning from her semi annual trip overseas shows.
Her two assistants, Jade and David really make her life smoother and they feel like a real family.
She becomes violently ill and calls a doctor whose card she was given. He's an internist and he checks her out at the hotel.
She must go for surgery and the doctor is the only one there. He learns of her past=in an orphanage.   Rejected from being adopted she moved in with nuns and she got jobs where she could create clothes for waitresses til she got discovered.
Dr. John Charles offers compassion.  They miss one another and like the bond they've created. Once back in town her lover has other interests so work consumes her once again. Her assistants set her up online dating. She's 48 already.
Love hearing of the sisters work for those who will never get adopted that she funds.  With the turmoil you wonder if they will ever be together.
Avalanche of emotions strikes them both on Valentine's Day in Paris and they know it can never come to much-their careers, his family and her charity work...Love how the title relates to this book.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

The Winner by David Baldacci
LuAnn Tyler is striving to escape her abusive life when she meets Mr. Jackson and guaranteed winner of the lottery.
False murder charge and the offer to leave the country takes care of her daughter...She comes back into the US with murder charges hanging over her head.
Mr. Jackson has sent others to find her also for the kill. Matt she befriends and hopes he is a true friend. Others are after her and she feels she has to open up to some...
Lots of twists and turns in this book really moving the plot forward.
Lots of travel, action and adventure. What a story, easy to follow and great information to tie it all together...
 I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Hooray for Hats by Brian Won
Audio children's story: Grumpy elephant wakes up and finds a hat. He puts it on and goes to see his friends who are also grumpy.
Love the parade of animals as they go from one friend to another with their new hats.
Reminds me of family photos we take: we take one silly hat one and a serious one. Always do the silly hat one first.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
3 Andrea sisters return home to help their father. They return with their own problems and secrets.
Father speaks Shakespeare and in prose to the girls. Cordelia has left WA and traveled back home and she's pregnant...
Bianca is leaving NY having lost her job because she's stolen money...Rosa teaches but this is her last year with the school, her fiance wants her to relocate to England so he can further his career...
Her mother informs them she has breast cancer and needs surgery, chemo the whole 9 yards....as they tend to their parents they become familiar with one another and secrets and the locale everything from bars to the church and everything in between.
Small town Ohio is so different from their normal...liked their summer destinations...they all have choices and decisions to make while caring for the adults who also have choices...
 I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).